Sensors: SEAWINDS

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The SeaWinds scatterometer on QuikSCAT began producing science quality data on July 19, 1999. The SeaWinds instrument on the QuikSCAT satellite is a specialized microwave radar that measures near-surface wind speed and direction under all weather and cloud conditions over Earth's oceans. SeaWinds uses a rotating dish antenna with two spot beams that sweep in a circular pattern. The antenna radiates microwave pulses at a frequency of 13.4 gigahertz across broad regions on Earth's surface. SeaWinds – A Ku-band (13.4 GHz) Scatterometer featuring a circular dish antenna, which provides pencil-beam radar backscatter measurements. The instrument will collect data over ocean, land, and ice in a continuous, 1,800-kilometer-wide band, making approximately 400,000 measurements and covering 90% of Earth's surface in one day. It’s primary purpose is to provide all-weather ocean surface wind vector measurements over the ice-free global oceans.